30. Juli 2023
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Welcome to the breathtaking Perito Moreno Glacier, one of Argentina’s most famous tourist attractions! The glacier is located in the Los Glaciares National Park and
El Chalten: a gateway to the best trekking adventures in Argentina
Come with us to El Chalten: Snow-kissed mountains, blue skies and this crazy iced-colored lagoon at the end: This is Cerro Fitz Roy. And the starting point is the small town of El Chalten. A paradise for anyone with a fair amount of wanderlust. We’ve heard a lot about the beauty of Patagonia, but we had to see it for ourselves first. Slight spoiler: it really is as beautiful as everyone says!
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1. How to get to El Chalten
The easiest way to get to El Chalten is to take a plane from Buenos Aires to El Calafate. Aerolineas Argentinas flies several times a day from the city airport Jorge Newbery. The flight takes about 3 hours and the approach gives you an idea of what to expect in Patagonia. The airport in El Calafate is located right next to the Lago Argentina, the biggest lake of the country. So be sure to get a window seat on the right side of the plane. Book early, then you can make some real bargains.
You can buy your bus ticket to El Chalten at the airport in El Calafate. It costs 10€ per person and route. The trip takes 2-2,5h if the bus is on time (the bus was delayed 45min when we took it).
Pro Tip: Buy your plane tickets directly at the airport and pay in cash. Because of the crazy inflation you get double the amount of money in pesos than the average conversion rate.
2. Where to Stay and Eat in El Chalten
We stayed in the Solo Lofts in El Chalten which is close to many restaurants and can recommend it without any doubt. The two-story apartments are newly built, super nicely furnished, and have everything you need. It’s not cheap, but Patagonia in general is not the cheapest region in Argentina and you get fair value for your money. We paid about 30€ per person per night.
Keep in mind that El Chalten is a very small and still not that touristy place. There aren’t a lot of affordable accommodations and it gets booked out quite fast. Also, the supermarkets will not have a big variety of products, because it’s so remote and doesn’t get deliveries every day. If you wanna cook yourself a meal, it won’t be easy to get different ingredients and probably be more expensive. Other good options are the Hosteria Senderos (a more expensive option), Guanaca Lodge, or Posada San Antonio.
Also, El Chalten has some good restaurants to offer. Please check out La Roti. They make awesome empanadas and quiche everyday. The El Parador has only a few tables and super delicious dishes. Here you can also order something for takeaway. From the balcony of our apartment, we saw the chilled garden of the Fresco Bar, so we had to try it out. They have good burgers and delicious craft beer. La Vineria is a bit more expensive, but the quality and taste of the food are worth the price.
3. Laguna Capri
On the first day, we only walked 4 kilometers to Laguna Capri. This is a nice little start to warm up a bit and get used to the area. It takes 1-1.5 hours depending on your walking speed. You walk for a good hour steadily but not really steeply uphill. Once you get to the small lake, it’s good to sit down on the shore, have a picnic, or even take a dip – but it’s freezing. If you walk a little further around the lake, you are quickly alone and can enjoy the peace and quiet on your own private stop with an amazing view of El Fitz Roy. If the weather plays along it is wonderful here.
4. Cerro Fitz Roy
The day after we dared to the more than 10 km/6.5 mi one-way way from the starting point in El Chalten to Cerro Fitz Roy. One thing in advance: everybody can do it but we had sore muscles for 3 days afterward. The first 45 minutes of the way we already knew from the first day. Then you hit a fork that takes you left to Laguna Capri or right to a viewpoint. We chose the right path and you can see the peaks of the mountain almost all the way. After a short stop (it was very windy!) at that viewpoint, we continued on, passing lush meadows, green forests, and deep blue streams. By the way, the water is pure and you can refill your drinking bottles here without hesitation.
The way also passes two campgrounds. You can stay here if you want to enjoy the sunrise or sunset at Fitz Roy, but better be quick with the booking. When we’ve been there it was all booked out.
After about 3 hours the most strenuous part of the hike begins. The last kilometer is really steep and sweaty because it goes up 400 altimeters. It will take you another hour to reach the Laguna de los Tres. But (in good weather) you will be rewarded with an incredible view of the summit together with the turquoise, icy water. Dreamlike!
Once you get to the top it is much cooler, so bring a sweater and a windbreaker. We stopped here for a snack and 1 hour taking in the view before we started our descent. This is easier than the ascent but also takes about 3 hours. On the way back, we made another short stop at Laguna Capri.
In total, it’s 21km (13 mi) to the Laguna de los Tres and back. For us hiking newbies, it was our longest hike and we started at 8 am and returned at 4.30 pm.
Pro tip: Don’t make the same mistake we did! Right next to Laguna de los Tres is Laguna Sucia. For this, you just have to walk to the left before Laguna de los Tres to get a view of both mountain lakes! But we screwed that up because we simply didn’t know it!
5. Cerro Torre
Another highlight is the hike to Cerro Torre. This hike is almost as long as the one to Fitz Roy. The first viewpoint, the Mirador del Torre, comes after about an hour of hiking. Since the summit was gray and cloudy (and we were still sore) we decided to stop here and not continue. But if you have better weather, it’s definitely worth it!
6. Conclusion
El Chalten is a paradise for hiking lovers and those who aren’t will love exploring the nature there anyways. It’s still a sleepy and more laid-back destination though the scenery around it is so beautiful that everybody should visit it once in a lifetime. The best time to travel there is October to March (Argentinian summer). In winter most of the roads and trails are closed due to snow.
As you can see on the map, there are many more hikes, lagoons, and peaks that you can visit. Unfortunately, after 5 nights our time ended and we continued to El Calafate! Here, another highlight of Patagonia is waiting for you.
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